


DURBAN

by AmmoLovesJyron



Series: DURBAN [1]
Category: Byron Langley - Fandom, Joe Sugg - Fandom, ThatcherJoe - Fandom, Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Angst, BoyxBoy, Coming Out, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Oops, This is a part two to the smut MATTRESS, this is set in 2k18 ish I think, yo this gets good
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-03
Updated: 2018-11-04
Packaged: 2019-08-17 01:15:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,443
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16506455
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AmmoLovesJyron/pseuds/AmmoLovesJyron
Summary: In the word document for this story it literally just says [aka Byron coming out to his family] and I thought that summed it up pretty well, but then it hit me that a lot more happens too! We have some sibling bonding, Byron's mum being a funny character, Byron's dad being mellow and practically an older version of Byron (we don't know either of those two so I made them up oops). It also feature Byron's siblings and nieces/nephews, which is always wicked.Basically Byron coming out to his family is all in the final chapter, the first three are angst and family bonding times!More chapters will be released over the coming days, let me know what you're thinking!





	1. LDN to SIN

**Author's Note:**

> Hi guys!  
> Thanks for sticking around! This is my first multi-part fic on AO3, and this is also on my Wattpad *plugs excessively*  
> Okay but no seriously, this first chapter just kind of provides a base for the rest of the story. This work will have four chapters, and is considered a continuation of Mattress, the smut recently published here. Enjoy :)  
> \- G xx

_“I’m so fucking nervous.”_

“They’re going to _love_ you.”

Byron stroked Joe’s hair softly, pressing a kiss to his temple. Joe looked up from where he had been sprawled across Byron, both of them revelling in post-sex haze. Byron sighed, giving Joe a proper kiss.

“I know it seems scary, but I have no doubt they’ll welcome you with open arms.”

“Are you sure?”

Joe seemed uncertain, but Byron just rubbed his back.

“I’m more than sure. I’m positive.”

His hands grasped Joe’s waist now, massaging the skin with the pads of his thumbs. Joe’s chest heaved with another sigh, using his legs to push his boyfriend’s apart. Byron let him, not caring that they were a) butt naked, or b) crotch to crotch.

“What time do we need to leave tomorrow?” He asked, Joe’s fringe tickling his chest.

“11-ish, since you have to go through the non-EU line and all; our flight is at 1:30.”

“Good call.”

Byron heard Joe yawn and reached around him, pulling the blankets over them.

“You don’t want to have a shower or anything before we sleep?” The taller whispered to his boyfriend, earning a shake of the head.

“Do it tomorrow.”

 

The next morning Joe woke up first as usual, and was showered/dressed/packed before Byron had rolled over. It was the smell of breakfast that dragged him out of bed; sizzling bacon, and the scent of scrambled eggs with cheese convinced him it was time to get up. He changed into boxers and a t-shirt quickly, tracking down the stairs and into the kitchen.

 

Joe was at the stove, focusing on the bacon cooking in front of him. He hummed along quietly to the music playing from the speakers, jumping when a body became very close to his. A kiss was pressed to his cheek and Joe grasped the tongs, ready to attack when the body behind his spoke.

“We’re not a cliché couple or anything, but you look so cute in my hoodie.”

Joe’s body instantly relaxed, and he turned to kiss Byron.

“Hi love, good sleep?”

“Yeah; did you sleep at all?”

Joe blushed, turning back to the bacon. Byron frowned, looping his arms around his waist.

“Why didn’t you wake me babe? What’s wrong?”

“It’s stupid,” Joe whispered. Byron shook his head in disagreement.

“It’s not-“

“-I’m just so fucking nervous, okay?! You haven’t even told your parents that you’re bisexual! How are they going to react to that, let alone the fact that you have a boyfriend; a boyfriend who is constantly in front of a camera for various reasons? Oh god By, I don’t think I can do this-“

“-Joe, baby here. It’s okay. I understand.”

Byron spun Joe back to be against his chest, holding him tightly. Joe squeezed his eyes shut, trying to just focus on Byron. He loved Byron, so why was he so scared of meeting the other Langley’s?

 

They left pretty close to 11:30, giving plenty of time for traffic and the non-EU line. While they sat in the uber they said nothing to each other- Joe kept checking he had the physical tickets despite having both downloaded and ready to go on his phone. Byron was resting against the car door, watching London rush by him- technically he was rushing past them, but he was too caught up in what Joe had said to care about it. Why had he been hiding his bisexuality from his family for so long- a majority of both he and Joe’s friends knew, why hold out? And the _boyfriend in front of a camera_ thing, that hit home. Technically, Byron was in front of a camera almost as much as Joe- however, it was sometimes a movie scene camera, or a modelling-shoot-HQ-camera. It was admittedly different to putting his whole life online, but he’d been trying vlogging recently and had enjoyed it. All in all, he could see where Joe was coming from with the comment but at the same time Byron had agreed to make his life a little less private a long time ago.

Now he was confused- about what to think, what to say to Joe, how to tell his family- was he worried about what they would think, how they would react?

_Time to stop thinking, Langers_.

 

At the gate, people rushed toward economy class, Joe grabbing Byron’s hand to stop him lining up as he gestured to first class.

“Wrong line, _mate_.”

Byron swallowed, nodding silently. He glanced at their intertwined fingers, Joe watching as Byron awkwardly pulled away.

“Sorry,” he whispered as fans approached them. Joe’s face fell, before he covered it with a smile, agreeing to pose for photos with a couple of fans. They quickly snapped a few pics, before leaving for their own flights. This left the awkward silence, as they approached a hostess who asked for their tickets.

“Joseph G Sugg, Byron R Langley?” She asked, Joe nodding.

“He’s Byron, I’m Joseph.”

Despite the obvious tension, Byron had to suppress a giggle when Joe addressed himself as _Joseph_. He never did that- he was _Joe_ to everyone but Zoe, but that was a sibling joke. Byron thought he was subtle, but earned an amused smile from Joe.

“R Langley,” he snickered, Byron’s giggling ceasing. They shared a smile and god, if they were alone, Byron would have kissed Joe to shut him up. Joe seemed to be thinking the same thing, as his smile fell. The pair thanked the hostess, before progressing on to the plane.

 

Since they were sitting directly beside one another, Byron flicked the switch to make the wall between them slide down, Joe finding their bedding. They got set up, Byron tossing his glasses into a small compartment next to him. Despite their minor fight earlier, Joe cuddled into Byron’s chest and closed his eyes.

“I’m nervous, but I hope you know I’m also really excited to meet your family,” he whispered, Byron chuckling.

“I know love. Try to get some sleep.”

 

The entire flight to their layover, Joe alternated between sleeping and watching in-flight movies. Byron, always treasuring sleep, spent a majority of air time sleeping with his fingers intertwined with Joe’s under the blankets. The air was cold in the airplane but Byron was sleeping hot, so he had given Joe his hoodie. Joe loved when he did that, all cards on the table; even if he wasn’t cold, it was soft and smelled like Byron- he’d always take it.

 

The layover was only really a couple of hours; Joe decided to go and have a look through some of the stores in the Singaporean airport, while Byron called his sister. She always liked to talk to her little brother; no matter the time of day or meaning behind his call.

“Hey B,” she answered, her voice sounding cheerful. Byron’s shoulders immediately relaxed- only by hearing her voice did he feel a little better.

“Little bru; you there? Are you okay?”

Byron snapped out of his thoughts.

“Yeah- yeah, I’m okay Mel. We landed in Singapore.”

“You’re halfway!”

Mel’s response helped perk Byron up a little as he glanced around. Time to ask Melanie an indirect question.

“So I’ve got a question for you. A couple have been together for quite a while, are really close, may even love each other etc… but they haven’t told the couple yet; what do you think?”

Mel _hmmmm’d_ in response, before she spoke.

“If they really loved each other, By, they’ll do it when they’re ready; not under pressure from others or themselves.”

Byron could hear his sister was doing something in the background, until there was a crash and she swore.

“I need to go, bru. Look; you and Didi were friends before you got together, so you’ll be fine… shit, By, gotta go. Call me when you land in Durban, love you!”

And she was gone. Byron laughed, shoving his phone back into his pocket. If only Mel knew what he was really hinting at.

 

Joe came back with a small brown paper bag, and he sheepishly held it out to Byron.

“Here. An attempt to apologise for stressing you out.”

Byron chuckled, wrapping Joe in a hug.

“It’s okay; I felt exactly the same meeting your folks. We can do this.”

And yeah, okay, Joe’s heart melted a little. His boyfriend’s smoky blue eyes watched Joe, keeping a hand on his waist while he opened the bag. A smile lit up his face, as he held up a beaded blue bracelet. Joe took it from him, slipping it on to Byron’s wrist beside his other bracelets for him.

“What do you think? I don’t know, it reminded me of your eyes and I just-“

“-I think it’s cute, baby.”

Byron placed his other hand on top of Joe’s, smiling.

“Promise.”


	2. The Langley Clan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In chapter two, we meet all of the Langleys, and there's a little more insight into the... tender... relationship Byron has with his mother. I love making this stuff up, creativity at its finest tbh.

The flight to Durban was smooth, Joe and Byron watching nearly an entire season of _IT Crowd_ to get them through. When the lights darkened, Byron slipped his arm around Joe’s waist and pressed a kiss to his cheek. Joe smiled, resting his head on Byron’s shoulder.

 

Arriving in Durban, Byron slid his cap on backwards. Joe fixed his shirt, squeezing Byron’s arm.

“Alright, let’s go.”

 

To Byron’s surprise, his sister was standing at their gate and she literally took a running leap into Byron’s arm, wrapping her arms around his neck while he recovered from the shock. Joe watched on with wide eyes while Melanie fussed over her little brother, checking him from all angles. Byron smiled, grabbing her by the shoulders.

“Steady Mel. Hi, how are you, how are the kids doing- ow!”

Melanie punched his shoulder rather hard, Joe snorting. Melanie pushed Byron aside, taking in Joe. She smiled, flicking her dark hair over her shoulder. He swallowed.

“Hey Melanie, I’m Joe; Byron’s bo- _boring_ roommate.”

Melanie seemed amused, but she hugged him anyway.

“Nice to meet you, Joe.”

Byron wanted to squish them together even more, but instead he reached for his phone and snapped a photo. Melanie and Joe released, and Joe raised an eyebrow at his boyfri- _roommate._ I meant roommate. Minor slip there, oops.

 

Byron tossed his and Joe’s suitcases into the back of their rental car, turning to look at Mel.

“Where are you parked?”

“A bit further down the back. Are you okay to drive yourselves?”

The boys nodded.

“We can swap if we need to, but the drive isn’t long,” Byron replied. Joe nodded with eagerness at the idea of a road trip with his boyfriend. It was only really forty-five minutes, but they’d still find something to do. Melanie glanced between them, before she smiled.

“Okay. Let’s go then.”

 

The second they were in the rental car, Joe reached across the centre console and pressed his lips to Byron’s. Byron accepted the kiss, holding the back of his boyfriend’s head softly. They pulled away, and Byron looked into Joe’s eyes.

“I’m so ready to take you home,” he whispered. Joe just squeezed his hand.

“Then let’s go bibbles.”

 

The car ride was filled with singing, Joe changing the song, Byron swearing at the traffic, Joe telling him to relax, Byron humming to the song, Joe complimenting his voice, and then the car fell silent. Repeat that entire process for forty-five minutes.

 

Byron felt Joe tense when he pulled into the driveway of his childhood home and stopped the car, parking up and grabbing his boyfriend’s hands.

“Hey. We’re going to be okay.”

 

Byron’s parents were the first ones out the door to embrace him, wrapping their arms around him together. Byron grinned, squeezing them.

“Hey guys.”

“Byron, you fucking idiot,” Byron’s mum breathed, the both of them laughing.

“Mother,” Byron replied.

When she let go, she grasped his face, inspecting him from all angles very similar to what Melanie had done. From where he was leaning against the car, Joe could see tears in his boyfriend’s mother’s eyes. She smiled, wiping them away when Byron greeted his dad. Joe realised Byron’s dad was a tall man; with thick brown hair and smoky blue eyes, Joe could dispel the rumours of Byron being adopted- he looked like a younger clone of his father. They had their brief moment, before Byron turned and gestured to Joe.

“This is my best friend and roommate, Joe Sugg.”

“Hi,” Joe spoke, waving awkwardly. Byron’s mum, just like Melanie had, gave him a hug.

“Welcome Joe; I’m Julie and this is Byron’s dad Brett.”

Joe shook Brett’s hand.

“Lovely to meet you both.”

“I love his accent!” Julie exclaimed, Byron laughing as he took her arm.

“Are the kids here? What about Bevan?”

As he led his mum inside, Byron sent Joe a subtle thumbs up.

_So far, so good._

Sitting in the living area was Byron’s eldest nephew, Tyler, who was seven. Sitting with him was his cousin Rebecca who was five, and his sister Isabelle who was nine. When Byron walked in the door they all yelled, racing over to tackle him in a hug. Tyler wrapped an arm around one of his legs, Isabelle clinging to his side and Rebecca hugging his middle. Byron burst out laughing, lifting Tyler on to his hip and ruffling the two girls’ hair. Joe noted that the girl hanging on to his boyfriend’s side had a similar hair colour to him, while the boy was a blonde and the eldest girl had long auburn-tinged brown hair. Even if you just saw the kids and Byron together, you could make the connections to tell they were related quite easily. Byron said hello to them, then gestured to Joe.

“Guys, this is my friend Joe. Joe meet my nieces Rebecca and Isabelle, and my eldest nephew Tyler.”

“Eldest?” Joe questioned, glancing around. Byron smiled, looking to his sister.

“Where’s the little bru?”

“Your _baby nephew_ is in my old room, he needs to be woken up anyway.”

Melanie tried to be unamused with her brother, but her smile betrayed her; she just gestured in the direction.

“He should be awake; let’s go.”

Byron took off down the hallway with Melanie right behind him, leaving Joe who smiled awkwardly.

“I- uhm, you- you have a lovely home Mr and Mrs Langley.”

The two exchanged a look, then laughed.

“Joe, you call us Julie and Brett. We don’t bite.”

“Speak for yourself!” Joe heard Byron yell from the bedroom.

“You bit your brother first!” Julie yelled back. She smiled at Joe, who seemed amused. The Langley’s were one hell of a family.

 

When Byron returned, he was following Melanie who was holding one of the cutest toddlers Joe had ever seen. Byron seemed sheepish, and his mother just laughed.

“Oh, Byron.”

 

Joe had barely settled into his spot beside Byron on the couch when Bevan Langley returned from wherever the fuck he had been.

Bevan and Byron looked freakishly similar- they both had strong jaws, and blue eyes that could easily draw everyone in. Bevan’s hair was closely cropped, but Joe could tell it was a similar colour to Byron’s. His voice was deep and smooth too; Joe thought he was Byron for a brief moment when he heard him speak, but when he introduced himself to Joe it all came to head just how similar the brothers were. Joe stood, realising Bevan was his height- Byron was taller than both of his siblings. Melanie stood at his shoulder, while Bevan reached his chin- just like Joe.

“Nice to meet you, mate,” Joe blurted, snapping out of his trance. Bevan smiled, hooking an arm around Byron’s neck in a playful headlock.

“You too Joe; heard a lot about you from By here.”

“All good things, I hope,” Joe smiled. Bevan laughed.

“For the most part. I assume you’ve met Tyler and Isabelle?”

“Yeah. Tyler could be a mini Byron.”

Byron tossed his head back as he laughed. Joe glanced between the brothers confusedly, but Byron just waved at him.

“Mum says that all the time. She’s been saying it since Tyler was born.”

“Sooooo… I was spot on then?”

 

The entire Langley clan welcomed Joe with open arms- the kids even argued about who could sit on the other side of him at the table. Byron obviously had one side, and in the end Bevan sat on the other side to stop the arguing. The youngest Langley, barely two years old, stayed in Melanie’s lap throughout the whole meal. Little Liam was fascinated by everything in the room, and continuously tried to escape his mother’s hold. Melanie had her work cut out with holding Liam and helping Rebecca cut up her food, so she seemed quite thankful when Byron offered to help Rebecca- she had informed Joe she preferred _Becca_ or _Becky_ instead of her full name almost immediately after their introduction, so he tried to remember that. She swapped seats with Bevan to be closer to her younger uncle, Joe realising just how much she looked like her mother already. While Byron took her plate to cut everything up, she turned her attention to Joe.

“Isi said you and Uncle Byron are famous now.”

Byron snorted, reaching for his beer to stifle his laughter while Melanie was quick to chaste her daughter and Isabelle glared from the other side of Byron. Becca took no notice, her focus completely on Joe with her big blue eyes. He swallowed, glancing at Byron who was being no help whatsoever. Joe decided to just answer her.

“Uh, sort of. It’s hard to explain-“

“-are you rich?”

“Rebecca!” Melanie’s voice was harsher than it had been earlier, and Becca fell quiet. Joe sighed, nudging her with his elbow.

“No, I’m not rich.”

Satisfied that her questions had answers, Becca thanked Byron when he handed her plate back and began eating. Melanie sent an apologetic look toward Joe who just smiled and waved her off. Questions had never bothered him.

 

After the large family dinner, Bevan said goodnight and took his kids home, Melanie following not long after when Liam began to get cranky. All three of the older kids hugged Byron and their grandparents, before leaving with their parents. Byron, Joe, Julie and Brett went to the lounge room, Brett pouring whiskey for everyone. He smiled at his youngest son, ruffling his hair before sitting down.

“So Byron, how has the acting been going? The modelling?”

“Really, really good actually. _The Kissing Booth_ helped heaps with publicity; y’know, all that stuff.”

“Right, right. Joe, what do you do for a living?”

Julie and Brett’s attention went to Joe, who winced. Time to tell them how YouTube worked.

“I’m a YouTuber- I make YouTube videos- but I used to be a roof thatcher! That’s not important, I mean, it is but-“

“You make YouTube videos for a living? Byron mentioned you did that, but I didn’t realise it was your full time job!”

Julie seemed shocked, but Joe just nodded.

“Well, yeah. I’ve been doing it for just over eight years now, full time six. Just saying that makes me feel kind of old.”

“Fair enough. Have you been to South Africa?”

_Joe had a sudden flashback to the first time he’d met Byron; only a few hours later Byron was fucking him into his hotel mattress, and then again in the shower, Caspar and Josh completely oblivious on the other side of the wall_ \- woah, stop that one right there.

“Oh, um, a couple of times with Josh and Caspar; I haven’t been to Durban before surprisingly, we usually stick to either Cape Town or Knysna.”

“Oh, Byron, you should give him a tour! There’s an outlook not far from here which is beautiful!”

Julie seemed to have decided she liked Joe, while Brett was sitting back in his chair sipping his whiskey. Joe finished his, standing abruptly.

“I’m sorry to finish off so hurriedly, but the jetlag is hitting me really hard right now. Is it okay if I turn in for the night?”

“Me too,” Byron blurted, standing. He kissed his mother’s cheek before gesturing for Joe to follow him.

“C’mon, I’ll show you where you can sleep.”

 

The plan had been for Joe to sleep in Bevan’s old room, but he found himself following Byron to his childhood bedroom. To Byron’s shock, when he opened the door it was exactly the same as it was when he’d moved out six years ago. He had only been nineteen when he left, and the room seemed exactly the same down to the bedspread. It was obvious despite her harsh attitude toward Byron that she still wanted him home often, and she kept the room clean. Joe nudged him, smiling.

“Let’s get ready for bed, bibbles.”

 

As Joe slid under the covers Byron lifted an arm, letting Joe cuddle. They lay there, jetlag hitting both of them, yet neither were ready to sleep.

“Are you nervous?” Joe whispered, taking Byron’s larger hand to play with his fingers. Byron let him, nodding as he hummed in agreement.

“Yah, but I think they’ll be okay with it. My sister literally fought someone for being homophobic once and none of them have ever had a problem with gay marriage.”

“That’s good.”

Silence fell, Joe listening to Byron’s heart beat as his chest rose then fell with his breathing. Byron ran his free hand through Joe’s hair, sighing.

“Let’s set a date for it. Tomorrow, we’ll tell everyone tomorrow; when we get back from the winery lunch.”

“If you’re ready, then I’ll be there for you.”

Joe scooted up enough to kiss Byron, Byron wrapping both of his arms around him in response. They fell asleep like that, Joe’s head on his boyfriend’s chest.


	3. Sunrises and Surprises

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In chapter three, we get some more development of Joe and Byron's relationship, there's some hurt/comfort because Byron's freaking out about how to tell his family, and innocent Isabelle who finds her uncle kissing his friend. Whoops.

Due to jetlag, both Joe and Byron were awake a little before the sunrise- Byron wasn’t as eager as Joe, who dragged him out of bed.

“Let’s go and watch the sunrise!”

“Joe-“

“-please? Just for a bit, then we’ll come back and cuddle.”

Byron realised how whipped he was for Joe in that moment- there was no way he could say no to Joe’s pleading puppy eyes.

“Okay, fine. Follow me, I know the perfect spot.”

 

They reached the top of the roof rather easily- Byron had been going up on to the roof to smoke since he was seventeen so he knew a safe and easy route. Joe followed him in silence, watching in awe as his boyfriend climbed up and found a good spot to sit. He gestured for Joe to join him and Joe sat on the already warmed roof tiles, scooting close to Byron who let him snuggle into his side. They looked out over the horizon, Byron pointing at an ocean nearby.

“The sun’s coming from there.”

“Wow,” Joe murmured. He rested his head on Byron’s shoulder, Byron running a hand through his hair absentmindedly. Together, they watched the sun rise over the horizon, heating up the air almost immediately. Joe took notice of how he went from shivering in his shirt and shorts to borderline sweating. Byron seemed unaffected as usual, his tan glowing bright against the morning sun. Joe was fascinated by Byron- he seemed like an average, maybe even boring guy- but the more Joe got to know him, the more he fell in love, the more Joe realised Byron had this other side to him. That side was wild, and loud, and daring, and fucking hilarious. That side Joe didn’t get to see very often.

“You’re staring,” Byron’s voice tugged Joe out of his thoughts, and when they made eye contact Byron just smiled. Joe wrapped an arm around his waist, Byron reaching to kiss him. They stayed attached for a moment, before they heard the back door open and Julie call out.

“Byron Langley, if you’re up there smoking I will climb up there and smack your ass so hard you won’t be able to sit down!”

Byron sent Joe an innocent smile. He stood, going over to the edge.

“Stay there.”

Joe watched as Byron looked for his mother, spotting her on a deck chair in the undercover area. He got her attention, throwing a few tiny rocks at her.

“BYRON!” Julie yelled, and he laughed.

“Love you ma!”

Julie got up off her chair, flicking Byron off before going inside.

“Love you too!” She yelled back.

 

When Byron and Joe went back inside, Julie leapt out from behind the back door and hit Byron on the ass with a wooden spoon, him making a noise of complaint but didn’t retaliate when she went back to making breakfast. Byron turned on the kettle, Joe joining him in the kitchen. It didn’t matter where they were; the pair fell into their usual morning routine- slightly adapted to accommodate Julie though. She watched them with a fond smile as she saw her youngest son smiling and laughing with his best friend. He seemed happier than when he had been living at home; maybe he and Joe were a stronger team than she had assumed.

 

At the winery, Tyler looked up and broke into a smile when he spotted Joe and Byron. He bolted over, giving Joe a high-five and hugging Byron around his legs. Bevan called him back and Byron awkwardly patted Tyler’s back before going over to greet his siblings. Joe and Byron sat together, subtly linking pinkies under the table on Byron’s lap. Their hands were dangerously close to Byron’s crotch, and he sucked in a sharp breath. Joe looked over and winked, before starting up a conversation with Bevan about his photography business. The only thing Bevan adored more than his family was his photography and drawing, so it was no shock that he passionately began to explain to Joe what he had coming up. When Bevan started talking about photography, there was always a chance he wouldn’t stop.

 

The group ate lunch then made the decision to take the kids (okay, and Byron) for ice cream down by the beach. Joe had been watching Byron since they left the winery and had noticed he had slowly been getting quieter and had a sad look on his face, so while everyone was ordering Joe pressed a kiss to his cheek and whispered if they could talk privately for a moment. Byron tensed, but followed. He was worried Joe was just going to break up with him.

It was the opposite reason that Joe pulled him away; he was worried about his boyfriend.

The second the two were out of sight of everyone Byron’s arms wrapped around Joe’s waist, his entire body shaking. Joe held his head, whispering that he needed to breathe.

“I don’t know if I can do this,” Byron murmured, Joe squeezing him gently.

“If you can’t today, that’s okay. We have the entire trip for you to do it,” Joe comforted, kissing Byron’s hair. Byron was still shaking, and Joe made the decision that he needed to find a place to sit down. Spotting a park bench nearby, he led his boyfriend to it and made him sit. Byron tried to calm down, burying his head into Joe’s shoulder as some form of hiding from the world. Joe kissed his hair, rubbing his back in lazy circles that honestly did help Byron’s panicked state. He assumed Joe was quite good at dealing with panicked people from living with Zoe, but he’d never seen understood just how good he _actually_ was.

“It’s okay bibbles; it’s okay.”

_“Uncle Byron?”_

Isabelle’s voice broke the couple apart, Byron looking at Joe with wide eyes. Joe sighed, turning to the little girl.

“C’mere kiddo.”

 

Isabelle approached them with caution, giving her uncle a hug before sitting between the two boys. Joe squeezed Byron’s arm, his attention going to Isabelle. Byron stopped him talking, his fiddling with the bracelet Joe gave him coming to a halt as he decided it should come from him.

“Isabelle, this has to be our secret for now, okay? You can’t tell anyone until I say you can.”

“Not even mum?” She asked, with wide eyes. Byron squeezed her knee, nodding.

“It’s such a huge secret that I haven’t even told _my_ mum. Can you do this?”

The small girl nodded, Byron heaving a deep sigh before he confessed.

“Okay. Isi, me and Joe aren’t friends.”

“I don’t get it,” she replied. Byron bit his lip, before he looked to Joe for approval. Joe just sent him a smile in return; he remembered how scared he had been telling his parents and Zoe, it was only fair Byron did this in his own time. Isabelle watched her uncle and Joe in confusion, before Byron calmly explained.

“Joe is my boyfriend.”


	4. Hatred

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As the finale in this series, Byron comes out to his family and confesses his relationship with Joe, and doesn't exactly get the reaction he assumed he would.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, I knew this was going to be a short series but I wasn't aware just how short the time was that I'd publish them in! I'd love to do another series like this, so if you liked this series please make sure to comment, tweet me, or message me on my Wattpad. This is also becoming available for those on Wattpad sometime during the next week or so, so you guys have multiple ways to find it!  
> All in all, thanks for reading. I'll be back soon probably with another shot, maybe a 5sos one if I feel up to it. Let me know what you want to see :)  
> -G xx

**-Previously-**

_Isabelle watched her uncle and Joe in confusion, before Byron calmly explained._

_“Joe is my boyfriend.”_

_****_**\----------------------------------------------------------------**

Isabelle glanced between the two boys, her eyebrows furrowing for a moment before she broke into a smile.

“Joe is my uncle too!”

“If you want,” Joe replied, and she wrapped her arms around him before hugging Byron again.

“That’s so cool! Uncle Byron, how long have you loved Uncle Joe?”

“Just over a year now,” Byron confessed. Joe smiled at him in adoration, and sent him a single nod. He’d done good.

“Now Isabelle, remember what I said-“

“-keep it a secret. I got it,” she cut Byron off. As she slid off the park bench, she laughed.

“Explains a lot Uncle Byron. I saw Joe come out of your room this morning and I didn’t want to say anything.”

“Thank you for being so understanding. I’ll get you something extra on the way home,” Joe said, and Isabelle cheered.

“Thanks Uncle Joe!”

 

The three met back up with the rest of the group, and when Bevan saw his daughter he smiled in relief.

“Oh thank god,” he spoke, coming over to scoop Isabelle up. She protested, trying to get out of his hold but he pressed a kiss to his cheek.

“Where did you go, Is? I was worried about you, kiddo.”

“I was talking to Uncle Byron and Joe,” she spoke innocently, hugging him.

“Sorry Bevan; I was going to tell you but I forgot,” Byron apologised, but Bevan waved him off.

“All good. Glad she was with you and not some creep.”

 

The rest of the afternoon was spent with the kids at the beach, the kids begging to get in the water but Bevan and Melanie told them they couldn’t, since it wasn’t exactly a swimming beach. In fact, it was Byron’s old surfing spot; he’d forgotten how much he had loved surfing there, and Joe caught him looking out toward the ocean longingly a couple of times. He nudged Byron’s shoulder at one point, leaning close to his ear.

“Hey, do you want to come back tomorrow and you can go for a surf?”

“Would you do that?” Byron replied, and Joe smiled as he nodded.

“Of course; I know you’ve been surfing for a really long time and I get that this used to be a favourite place of yours to do it.”

Byron’s smile was large as he hugged Joe, subtly pressing a kiss to his forehead. Joe snuggled into him, them pulling apart when they heard Brett’s voice.

“Okay you lot; are you ready to go?”

“Sure,” Melanie agreed. She scooped Liam up from trying to eat dirt, giving Becca a gentle pat on the head. Rebecca looked up at her with a pout, but stood too.

“Okay, fiiineeee… Can we go back to nana and pa’s?”

“That’s the plan,” Byron agreed. He and Joe stood, the rest of the group gathering to pile back into their cars.

 

Back at Byron’s childhood home, he pulled up in the driveway behind his sister and looked over at Joe, who could probably read his mind at this point in their relationship. He smiled, squeezing his hand.

“You can do this. I love you.”

“I love you too,” Byron replied, and he seemed a little calmer but it was obvious he was still concerned. Joe reached over, and they kissed. The pair stayed attached in a hug for a brief moment, until Byron released.

“Will you be there, with me, when I do it?” He asked, and Joe nodded as he took Byron’s hands in his own to stop them trembling. His eyes were wide and he looked down for a moment, but Joe tilted his chin.

“If that’s what you want me to do, then I will be right there with you. It’s your moment.”

“UNCLE BYRON!” Tyler yelled, and the couple were jolted out of their moment. They quickly detached, and Byron took the keys from the car as they exited the vehicle. He called back to Tyler.

“What’s up little bru?”

“Mama and Uncle Bevan are inside with Grandma and Pops; they want to talk to you.”

“Crap,” Byron cursed under his breath. He turned to Joe, gesturing for him to come closer than leaning on the car.

“Need a sec. Thanks Tyler.”

The small boy took off back inside, probably into Bevan’s old room as Julie and Brett had purchased plenty of toys over the years to keep the kids entertained while the adults had… adult conversations. For quite a while, Byron wasn’t a part of these adult conversations but he quickly proved he was mature enough.

For the first time ever, he didn’t want to be a part of an _adult conversation_. He could only guess what they wanted to talk to him about- he and Joe weren’t exactly… _subtle_.

 

Brett and Julie were sitting on the loveseat, Bevan and Melanie sitting on the floor. When Byron went to question them, Melanie waved him off.

“Mum demanded that you and Joe needed to sit on the couch.”

“Ooookkayyyy…”

Byron tentatively took a seat, Joe joining him. Behind their backs, they linked their fingers as much as they could manage. Brett and Julie were sitting on the opposite side of the now seemingly small room, and seemed concerned, maybe even confused.

“Byron, we need to talk.”

Julie was gentle in her tone for once, and Byron’s stomach hit the floor.

 

Bevan and Melanie sat quietly, the two silent as they watched their little brother have a minor freak out. It was obvious his reaction was genuine when he realised what they wanted to talk about, and Melanie just wanted to comfort him but Bevan held her arm- this was their parents, Byron and Joe’s conversation.

“Byron, what’s going on? You’ve been distant ever since you got home, and we’re worried about you. Is there something wrong, are you hiding something from us?”

Brett’s voice was soft too, and he seemed concerned for his youngest son who he still saw as a five year old sometimes. It was a parental thing; sometimes your kid does something and it just reminds you of when they were little. For Brett, when Byron wouldn’t meet his eyes it reminded him of when he was only five and had done a drawing on his bedroom wall with crayons. He had been guilty and sad to admit he had messed up, and Brett realised it was exactly the same as Byron sat in front of him twenty years after the wall incident.

“Dad, I-“

“-Byron?”

Julie reached forward, to try and meet her son’s eyes. He could feel her gaze and slowly lifted his head, until they could make eye contact. She realised he was close to tears, and sighed. It would always hurt a parent to see their child cry.

“Here,” Melanie whispered, placing a box of tissues on Joe’s lap. Joe thanked her quietly, handing the box to Byron. Byron sniffed, wiping his watering eyes.

“Dad, mum, I just- I haven’t told you because I was scared, god I was _so scared_. I promise it wasn’t like I didn’t want to tell you, I just- I couldn’t- I didn’t want to-“

“Byron, honey.”

Julie came over to sit on the other side of Byron, rubbing a hand up and down his back. He accepted the hug she offered him, not even complaining when she pressed a kiss to his forehead which was a first- usually he hated that.

“You’re not going to- you won’t h-hate me- you won’t-“

“-Byron, we could never, _ever_ hate you, no matter what. We just want to know what’s going on.”

Brett was speaking from his chair, and Melanie swiped under her eyes. Damn emotions. Byron was trembling as he leaned against his mother, scared for his life. He’d never been so scared to tell his parents something; he wasn’t even this scared to tell his parents he failed his final math exam, and they had roasted him on that one.

“Just start wherever you want to,” Julie soothed, and she realised Joe was holding Byron’s hand in his own, clasped tightly as though to offer some support.

“Okay. Okay, I can do this.”

As Byron’s back straightened up, he looked to Joe who just nodded- there was support and affection clear in his eyes, and Byron had never been as grateful for it as he was now.

“So me and Joe met in the summer of 2014-15, through Caspar. It just- I don’t know, I guess we really hit it off, and I don’t exactly feel ready to confess to my parents my sex life, so let’s skip.”

“That was my first time with a guy- I had never even looked at another guy that way until I met Joe, and we haven’t really looked back since then.”

“It’s July 2017, and I told Joe I was moving to London- I spent six weeks on Caspar’s couch, before Joe offered for me to move in to his spare room- originally his filming room, where he shot all his YouTube videos. He offered me a place to sleep, and have a secure home to come back to. We made a deal to leave the sexual relationship in the past, to see other people and kind of just pretend it never happened, but as time went on we seemed to get more attached. Not only did we develop a tight friendship bond, we also decided to become an official couple. In secret, it was great. With our friends when they weren’t vlogging, it was great. We made a weekend trip back to Wiltshire so we could tell Joe’s family, and Zoe bawled her eyes out in happiness when we confessed. She said something about having her suspicions for a while but all in all, she completely supported us. Both of Joe’s parents were really good about it too, and I guess that made me realise that just because we were on the other side of the world, it doesn’t mean I should hide things from you. Granted, it wouldn’t have taken a plane ride, but I guess I didn’t feel right just telling you over the phone, or text, or someone seeing a photo of us on a social media and sending it to you guys. I hope you know that I love you both, and you Mel, you too Bevan, and I just-“

“-oh my god. You’re gay?” Julie’s voice had become harsh, as she withdrew from her comforting place at Byron’s side. He blinked, seemingly shocked.

“No, mum. I’m bisexual-“

“-you two are in a relationship?” Julie’s voice was only getting more intense, and Melanie stood.

“He’s in love, ma, why can’t you see that-“

“- _he’s in love with a boy, Melanie_!”

“-and what the fuck is wrong with that?” Bevan snapped, standing beside his sister. Julie sighed, running a hand through her hair.

“Bevan, Melanie-“

“-I can’t breathe,” Byron murmured. That was it; Joe was getting him out of there.

As he rushed Byron to the bedroom, he could Brett, Bevan and Melanie trying to calm Julie down.

“This whole time we were worried about him getting girls pregnant in his bedroom, when in reality we should have been worrying about him getting HIV, or AIDS, or some other disease that’s passable through anal sex-“

“-mum, you’re over reacting!” Melanie replied in a similar tone to her mother. In response, Joe just covered Byron’s ears and helped him into his bedroom.

 

The second they were sitting on the bed Joe wrapped his arms around Byron’s waist, kissing his hair.

“Love, I’m so sorry. I can’t believe she-“

“-this isn’t her. My mother would never react like that to something this serious.”

Byron’s voice was breaking as he spoke, his head buried into Joe’s shoulder. Joe rubbed his back, pressing reassuring kisses to underneath his ear and forehead.

“Do you want to lie down while I pack up?” Joe whispered, Byron slowly nodding.

“Tell me when we’re ready to go.”

 

Half an hour later, Joe knelt down beside Byron’s head, running his fingers through his locks before squeezing his hand.

“Hey squibbles, ready to go?”

Byron hummed. His eyes opened to show his red-rimmed irises, and Joe honestly felt his heart break for his boyfriend.

“I can’t help that I’m in love with you,” he choked out to Joe, who sighed.

“I can’t help that I’m in love with you either,” he replied, eyes soft as he spoke to his distressed boyfriend. Byron’s breathing was even though, which was good as Joe was worried earlier when he began to panic.

“I’m scared,” Byron whispered, and Joe nodded.

“Me too. It’s going to be okay, though.”

He stood, holding out his hands.

“C’mon, we should get going.”

Byron accepted the help, standing up with Joe’s support. Joe was concerned; he’d never seen his boyfriend so weak.

 

As they snuck to the front door, there was a noise from the kitchen, and both jumped at the voice.

“You’re leaving already?”

They spun around, to face Isabelle, her brother, and Rebecca. All three had their arms crossed, and Isabelle had a pout.

“Grandma says we should never give up, no matter what happens,” she stated, and Byron sighed. He put his bags down, rushing to hug the kids.

“I gotta go, tell your parents I’ll call them okay?”

“Why, Uncle Byron?” Tyler questioned, and Byron hesitated, before he took Tyler’s hands.

“Kid, if you ever want to date someone other than a girl than you should know that is perfectly acceptable no matter what others say. You need to be comfortable with you first, and to date someone means being comfortable with someone else too.”

He turned to the girls, smiling.

“Same to you two. If you ever want to date someone who isn’t a boy, then don’t be scared. You are you, and you make the choices to make yourself happy.”

“-Byron?”

 

Julie stood in the kitchen entryway, her lip trembling as Byron stood. His face was cold, and he turned.

“Let’s go, Joe-“

“-Byron, wait! I’m sorry, I’m so, so sorry. I wasn’t expecting that, and I swear it’s not the bisexual thing that gets me, it’s just- I thought you two were just fucking around, but then you told him you loved him. I realised just how much love hurts when it’s torn apart, and I don’t want you to go.”

Byron’s entire body tensed up mid-step, and he spun back around. The kids disappeared, as Julie stepped closer to her son. She extended her arms, slowly approaching him. Byron watched, his eyes watering again.

“Mum, mum I-“

“-I still love you, honey, I’m sorry I reacted so badly I just want you to be safe, and happy.”

“Mum.”

Byron smiled through his tears, Julie pushing his backpack off his shoulder to hug her son properly. They stayed together for a moment, Joe watching with a proud, fond smile and watery eyes. He watched as Byron and Julie exchanged _I love you_ s, the tender moment punching him right. In. The. Heart.

“Fuck,” he murmured, eyes wide when Julie reached out for him.

“Welcome to the family, Joe,” she spoke as she pulled him into a group hug with Byron. Byron couldn’t take the happy smile off his face, as he kissed Joe’s head then hugged his mum.

 

That night with everyone sitting in the lounge room, Joe and Byron explained their relationship (keeping it clean for the kiddies), and calmly answered any questions brought up. Melanie then proceeded to completely embarrass Byron when she pulled baby photos out to show Joe.

 

In Byron’s childhood bed, he flopped on to his back, Joe lying on top of him. They snuggled for a moment, before Joe rolled off to be beside his boyfriend.

“Why is South Africa so damn hot?” He complained, and Byron just laughed.

“It’s the _Durban_ air.”


End file.
